AERO 2026 Reports Record Attendance, Exhibitors

Business aviation growth helped drive the Friedrichshafen show.

AERO 2026 Reports Record Attendance, Exhibitors
[Credit: AERO Friedrichshafen]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • This year's AERO event in Friedrichshafen (April 22-25) achieved record numbers, attracting approximately 37,000 visitors from 88 countries and 860 exhibitors from 50 countries.
  • The business aviation segment experienced the highest growth, with its dedicated dome increasing floor space by 50% and showcasing a variety of prominent aircraft.
  • The event featured numerous new product introductions, including aircraft making their first appearances outside the U.S. or in Europe, and new models from manufacturers like Kaelin Aerospace Technologies and Promecc Aerospace.
See a mistake? Contact us.

AERO 2026 organizers said they saw several record numbers from the event this year, with about 37,000 visitors from 88 countries attending the four-day event in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Held April 22-25, the event marked the 32nd edition of the general aviation, business aviation and air sports trade show.

The show included 860 exhibitors from 50 countries exhibiting across more than 1 million square feet of total space. Organizers said visitor numbers were up from 32,100 in 2025, while international participation accounted for 54% of exhibitors and 55% of visitors. More than 550 accredited media representatives attended, with about half coming from outside Germany.

Business aviation saw the highest growth among the show’s segments this year, with the Business Aviation Dome increasing its floor space by 50% over 2025. Display aircraft included the Bombardier Global 6500, Dassault Aviation Falcon 6X, Textron Aviation Cessna Citation Ascend and Cessna SkyCourier, along with Daher’s TBM 980 and Kodiak 900.

Organizers said several aircraft made their first appearances outside the U.S. or in Europe at the event, while Kaelin Aerospace Technologies and Promecc Aerospace introduced new aircraft during the show, along with several other manufacturers that introduced a variety of new features and updates to existing lines.

AERO is scheduled to return to Friedrichshafen April 14-17, 2027, followed by AERO South Africa, AERO Asia in Zhuhai, China, and AERO Middle East in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Matt Ryan

Matt is AVweb's lead editor. His eyes have been turned to the sky for as long as he can remember. Now a fixed-wing pilot, instructor and aviation writer, Matt also leads and teaches a high school aviation program in the Dallas area. Beyond his lifelong obsession with aviation, Matt loves to travel and has lived in Greece, Czechia and Germany for studies and for work.
Sign-up for newsletters & special offers!

Get the latest stories & special offers delivered directly to your inbox

SUBSCRIBE

Please support AVweb.

It looks like you’re using an ad blocker. Ads keep AVweb free and fund our reporting.
Please whitelist AVweb or continue with ads enabled.